Parking meter



J 1939- A. c. HITZEMAN PARKING METER Filed March 2'7, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet 1 June 6, 1939. A. C.,HITZEMAN PARKING METER Filed March 27, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 72% a? arm/u June 6, 1939. A. c. HITZEMAN PARKING 'METER Filed March 27, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 6, 1939 PATENT OFFICE PARKING METER, Arthur C. Hltzeman, Roselle, Ill., assignor to vid 0. Bockola, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 27, 1936, Serial No. 71,118 9 Claims. (Cl. 194-83) This invention relates to parking meters. The parking of vehicles on streets or in other places is frequently, if not quite generally, limitedby ordinances or other controlling regulations to periods of time which may depend upon desired or prevailing traflic conditions. On some streets, for example, one-hour parking is permissible, and on others the parking period may be more or less than an hour. One purpose of such regulations is to permit a greater number of parkings per day in a given district or area or in the available parking spaces. The parking meter of the invention is adapted to indicate the availability of a parking space for an automobile or other vehicle;

' upon actuation, to set, energize. and starttiming means for indicating the permissible time interval or period of parking and, during the parking period, for indicating the time remaining in the parking-period; and to indicate when the parking no period has expired. In that manner the invention may be employed to facilitate enforcement of parking regulations.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a novel parking meter.

Important objects of the invention include the provision of such a parking meter of simple and foolproof construction, which may be readily installed and operated to indicate and time a desired parking period and which is adjustable to adjust the timed parkingperiod; the provision in such a parking meter of manually operable means for moving indicating means to a starting position, and timing means for driving the indicating means toward a time-up or zero position; the provision of starting and stopping means for the timing means, operable from the indicating means in predetermined positions; the provision of a coin or token controlled parking meter; the

provision of a parking meter which indicates a parking period, a grace period, and an overtime period; the provision of a parking meter which, if desired, produces an audible signal when the parking period expires; the provision of a park- 1115, lilfCCl in which the indicating means is moved in a parking period indicating position and the timing means is energized and started by the manually operable means; and the provision of a coin or token controlled parking meter wherei. th inserted coin or token serves as a driving emission bclween the manually operable means ad the means driven thereby and is thereafter -id in a visible position until the next coin or 1 -}1-"11 is inserted.

Other objects of the invention include the comh =on:: and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described in connection with' the accompanying drawings and as more particularly set forth in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a parking meter 5 embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section taken substantially along the lines 22 of Fig. 1, but on a different scale from that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the casing 10 shown in Fig. 2, showing a rear view of the meter apparatus in a stop position;

Flg. 4 is a fragmentary rear view of the front casing member with some of the apparatus removed to bring out certain details of the token 5 or coin control apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section taken substantially along the lines 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-section taken sub stantially along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 4; 20

Fig. '1 is a fragmentary cross-section taken substantially along the lines -1 of. Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a detail cross-section taken substantially along the lines 88 of Fig. 2.

Illustrative of the invention, the novel parking 25 meter comprises a casing l5 of any suitable construction, which may be fixed on a supporting standard i6 of convenient height, and, in the casing, indicating means l1 visible from opposite sides of the casing, timing means l8, and manu- 3 ally operable means I! which, when a token or coin is inserted in a casing slot or aperture 2|, is adapted to set the indicating means at a starting position and toenergize the timing means 18 for driving the indicating means H in a time 35 indicating direction. The manually operable means then delivers the deposited token or coin to a position where it is visible through a sight window 12 in the casing IS, the token or coin being retained in that position until the next 40 operation of the parking meter for the purpose oi! discouraging the use of counterfeit or spurious tokens or coins in the meter.

The casing I! may be cast or otherwise formed and, as illustrated, may comprise a rear, rela- 5 tively stationary, dished member 23 having pivotally secured thereto a front, swingable, dished member 24 by, for example, a pintle hinge 25 located at corresponding ends of the dished members. Preferably, the meeting edges of the memw bers 23 and 24 are formed to provide a tongueand-groove joint or connection 26 associated with suitable weather stripping or other gasket means 21 for protecting the apparatus in the casing from the weather.

The rear casing member 23 is provided at its upper end with a sight window 28 for exposing the indicating means I! to view from the rear side of the casing, and at its lower end the casing member 23 is provided with a depending-boss 29 having an aperture 3| therein and an internal flange 32 at the upper end of the boss 29. That aperture 3| is adapted to receive therein the upper end of the standard it, which is preferably of hollow construction, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The flange 32 provides at one side thereof an abutting shoulder for the upper end of the standard i8 and, at the other side thereof, the flange provides a supporting surface or shoulder for an external flange 33 of a tolren or coin receptacle 34 open at its upper end and removably receivable in the hollow Standard it? through the aperture 3|. The casing member 23 may be secured on the standard i6 by any suitable means, such as a retaining screw 35 passing through the boss Ed at the open side of the casing member 23 and engaging the standard it therein.

As already stated, the front casing m mber ii is pivoted to the casing member 23 by the pintie hinge 25, which is preferably located below the retaining screw 35. In such a construction the casing retaining screw 35 and a pintle retaining screw 36 are accessible only when the casing E5 is open. Yet, when the casing is open, it is readily removable as a unit from the standard, or the front casing member 24 is readily removable. Such a construction facilitates replacement of the entire casing or of the front casing member 24 and the apparatus carried thereby.

If desired, the front wall of the casing |5 may be recessed above the hinge 25. and the sight window 22 may be located near the lower end of that recess. A sight window 31- aligned with the sight window 28 may be provided in that front wall recess of the casing IE to expose the indicating means IT to view from the front of the casing. A key operable, threaded bolt 38 at the upper end of the front casing member 24 and an internally threaded socket 39 in the rear casing member 23 constitute suitable locking means for the casing.

Formed in the front casing member 24 between the sight windows 22 and 31 is a boss 4|, which is apertured to provide a bearing for the manually operable means |9 which comprises a handle 42 outside the casing l5 and a shank 43 operatively connected to the handle and extending into the casing through the aperture in the boss 4| and an aperture in a mounting plate or panel 44. That plate 44 is suitably secured as at 35 in the front casing member 24 below the level of the I sight window 37 and adjacent the inner end of the boss 4|, and the plate is provided with an aperture 46 aligned with the sight window 22.

As already mentioned, the casing 5 contains the indicating means i! and the operating and control means therefor, including the timing means l8. It will be understood that the timing means may be any suitable clock apparatus, that shown being merely for illustrative purposes. It it not, therefore, described in detail, but by way of explanation it might be well to point out that,

as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the clock apparatus |8 comprises a main spring 47, a winding stem 48 therefor, having a gear fis'flxed thereon and meshing with a gear 5| rotatably fixed on the clock casing for winding the spring 47, a timing shaft 52 driven from the main spring a! and having a pinion gear 53 fixed thereon to rotate therewith, and an escapement shaft 54 provided amines with a balance wheel 55 for controlling the driving of the timing shaft 52 from the spring 41. If desired the clock |8 may be of the well known alarm type for producing a signal at the end of the parking period. Accordingly the clock may include a signal operating spring 56, a winding stem 56a, and a shaft 51 carrying a gear 58 fixed thereon and meshing with the gear 5| for correlating the operation of the spring 56 with the indicating means I! in a well known manner. Such aciecl; may be mounted by any suitable means 59 on the mounting plate 44.

The clock i8 is adapted to drive the indicating means i? comprising a parking period indicator a grace period indicator 62, and an overtime indicator 63. Such indicating means may be provided in the form of a disc or dial having portions thereof of different colors or otherwise marked to indicate at both. sides or the disc the parking, grace, and overtime periods, respectively. Each Such portion is calibrated minutes or other time units. The indicating disc is adapted to be loosely carried on the shank 43 and extends therefrom to a position between the sight windows 28 and ill so that the time calibrations on the disc are visible through the sight windows from opposite sides of the casing.

Fixed on, to rotate with, the shank 43 between the mounting plate 44 and the indicating disc I l, is a token or com transferring device 64 of generally circular and plate-like configuration and having an arcuate slot or aperture 65 cooperating with a. pin or other projection 66 on the inner face of the mounting plate 44 for limiting the rotation of the manually operable means |5 and the device 54 in both directions. That transferring device 84 also has an arcuate slot or aperture 51 which communicates at one end with a circular slot or recess 68 which is provided in the periphery of the transferring device for receiving tokens or coins inserted in the aperture 2| and transferring them to a position over the receptacle 34.

The mounting plate 44' and the indicating disc iii cooperate to provide therebetween an interrupted token or coin guideway including a receiving guideway portion 69 communicating at its outer end with the casing aperture 2|, and a depositing guideway portion extending across the aperture 46 and toward the open end of the receptacle 34. rocking the handle 42 and the transferring device 64 between a position at which the slot 68 is aligned with the inner end of the receiving uideway portion and a position at which the slot 68 is aligned with the inner end of the depositing guideway portion.

fiuch a. token or coin guideway may be provided, where the casing aperture 2| is in the front casing member, by bending or otherwise forming a portion 12 of the mounting plate 44 forwardly at such an inclination that a token or coin inserted in the aperture 2| will gravitate along the portion 12 between the mounting plate and the indicating disc. Guide members i3 and id extending from the mounting plate to adjacent the indicating disc provide one guide wall each for the receiving and depositing guideway portions 69 and 1!, respectively, the other wall for each of the guideway portions '69 and 1| being The aperture 65 and pin 66 permit depositing guideway portion 1|. If desired the receiving guideway portion 88 may be provided with a plate 11 bridging the upper end of the guideway and secured as at 18 to the guide members 18 and 15.

With such a construction the inserted token or coin may be employed as driving means for moving the indicating disc I1 to a starting position for indicating the duration of the parking period. To that end a pin or other projection 18 is provided on the disc I1 and extends into the space between the guide wall 18 and the periphery of the transferring device 84 at such a position that when the transferring device is rotated in, a transferring direction without a token or coin being in the slot 88, the slot 81 passes about the pin 18 without driving the indicating disc I1. When a token or coin has been inserted through the aperture 2| into the slot 88, the inserted token or coin rotates with the transferring device 84 and engages the pin 18 to move the indicating disc I1 to its starting position, whereupon the token or coin then drops into the depositing guideway portion 1|. I

In thus transferring the inserted token or coin to the depositing guideway portion 1|,the indicating disc I1 is rotated to a starting position to indicate the beginning of the parking period. That movement of the disc is employed to energize the timing means I8 which is thereupon adapted to drive the disc in the opposite direction to time and indicate the duration of the parking period. For that purpose the disc I1 is provided with a threaded pin or projection 8| extending rearwardly from the disc through an 'arcuate aperture 82 of a segmental gear 83 on the shank 48 rearwardly adjacent the disc I1. A wing nut or other operable means 84 may be threaded on the pin 8i for adjustably securing the gear 83 to the rear face of the disc i1.

That segmental gear meshes with the gear 53 on the timing shaft 52 of the clock I8 and is provided with a rearwardly extending sleeve portion 85 loose on the shank 48 and having at its inner end a pinion gear 88 meshing with the gear 5|. Thus in turning the manually operable means I8 to transfer a token or coin to the depositing guideway portion 1i, the rotation of the indicating disc I1 is transmitted to the segmental gear 88 through the pin 8i and nut 84 and through the sleeve portion 85 to the pinion gear 88.

' Such rotation of the pinion gear 88 drives the gear 5i to wind the main spring 41 and, if desired, the signal operating spring 58. By loosening the nut 84 and adjusting the indicating disc about the shank 48 relative to the segmental gear, the pin 18 may be moved nearer or further from the token or coin receiving slot 88 so that the full stroke or any part thereof of the token or coin being transferred from the receiving to the depositing guideway portion can be utilized to rotate the indicating disc toward starting position. Thus I rying a torsion spring 8| having an end anchored to a screw or other projection 82 on the shank 48 and extending radially outwardly therefrom through the apertures 81 and 88. The other end of the spring 8I may engage some fixed member 88 of for example, the timing means I8. The apertures 81 and 88 areof such lengths that whether or not a token or coin is inserted in the parking meter, the spring 8| can move the screw 82 through an arc suillcient to return the manually operable means to its initial position without the screw 82 engaging the ends of the apertures.

To promote accuracy in the timing operation, it is important to provide means for assuring the starting and stopping of the clock I8. To that end a resilient shoe or controller 84 is, as shown best in Fig, 3, fixed at one end to a rockable stud 85 journaled in the clock casing and extends to a position of engagement with the balance wheel 55 of when the parking meter tion against a pin 88 on the indicating disc I1 tocause the shoe 84 to engage the balance wheel 55.

when the disc I1 is rotatedtoward a starting position as already described,the pin 88 rotates the arm 88 and hence the stud 85 and shoe 84 in a direction to cause the resilient shoe 84 to rotate the balance wheel 55 to start the clock. As the indicating disc continues to be rotated toward a starting position, the arm 88 is moved beyond a dead center" position by the pin 88 so that the spring 81 pulls the arm 88 against a stop pin 88 projecting rearwardly from the mounting plate 44. In that position the outer end of the arm 88 is out of the path of the pin 88, where it remains until it is engaged by a pin I8I projecting rearwardly from the indicating disc I1 as the clockor spurious tokens or coins, a spring held member I82 is pivoted as at I88 on the iront face or the mounting plate 44 and is provided with a token or coin holding arm I84 extending to a position adjacent the aperture 48 and there provided with an inwardly extending token or coin supporting tab or finger I85. That member I82'is provided with another arm I88 extending to adjacent an aperture I81 in the mounting plate 44 between the guide wall 18 and the transferring device 84, and there provided with an operating cam I88 extending through the aperture I81 in the path of a token or coin being transferredfrom the receiving to the depositing guideway portion. A spring I88 yieldably holds the member I82 in such position that the supporting finger I85 holds an inserted token or coin in a position visible through the aligned sight window 22 and aperture 48 until another token or coin in being transferred to the depositing guideway portion engages the cam I88 rection to release the held token or coin which then falls through the depositing guideway portion into the receptacle 84. When the second mentioned token or coin is moved beyond the cam I88, the spring returns the supporting tinand operates the member I82 in a diger M5 to its position to interrupt the token or coin in its travel toward the receptacle 34 and to hold that token or coin in the visible position until a subsequent operation of the novel'parking meter.

The novel parking meter may be installed adjacent a parking space, for example, at the curbing of a street or public highway, In using it,

when the driver of the vehicle parks in that space, he inserts a token or coin in the aperture 226 turns the handle 42. The inserted token or coin in being transferred toward the depositing guideway portion H by the transferring device t l engages the pin l9 to-rotate the indicating disc it toward a starting position and engages the cam it? to operate the member m2, causing the previously inserted token or coin to be released into the receptacle 34. 4

in thus rotating the indicating disc i'l toward its starting position, the disc drives the segmental gear 33 toward its starting position with reference to the pinion time gear 53 and drives the pinion gear 86 to drive the clock winding gear 5i whereby to energize the clock. While the disc ii and the clock 18 are thus being set, the pin 98 on the rotating disc I? moves the arm Q6 toward the stop pin 99 causing :the shoe 94 to spin the balance wheel and thus start the clock it.

When the rotation of the handle 42 in thus setting the meter is stopped by the limiting slot and pin 66, the spring 9| returns the handle to its initial position. The clock It now drives the segmental gear 83 through the pinion gear 53 to rotate the indicating disc I! whereby to time and to indicate the duration of the parking period and thereafter the duration of the grace period and the overtime through the rear sight window 28 and the front sight window 31. At the end of the entire period indicated, the pin lOl actuates the arm 96 to move the shoe 94 against the balance wheel 55 whereby to stop the clock.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of all changes Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A parking meter comprising a casing having a pair of alignedsight windows in opposite walls thereof, a rotatable indicator disc in said casing and having time indicia on its opposite faces which is visible from opposite sides of 'said casing through said aligned sight windows, timer means in said casing having means for driving said indicator disc in one direction in accordance with the time indicia on the opposite faces thereof, means for starting and stopping said timer means, token or coin receiving and transferring means in said casing, means associated with the indicator disc and movable by a token or coin during its transfer by the last said means for rotating said indicator disc to a starting position in the opposite direction from that caused by said timer means, means operable by said indicator disc during said movement to starting position for energizing said timer, means for adjusting the energizing means relative to said disc whereby to vary the starting position of said disc, means comprising a member on said indicator disc foroperating said starting means when said indicator disc is moved to a starting position, and

means comprising a member on said disc for efrecting stopping of said timer means when said indicator disc is driven by said timer means from the starting position.

2. in a parking meter comprising a casing having a relatively movable front wall portion and a sight window therein, an osciliatable indicator disc mounted within said casing for movement in the plane of said front wall portion and adjacent the inner side of said sight window so as to cover said window, means for moving said indicator disc in opposite directions relatively to said window comprising token controlled manually operable means for moving said indicator isc in one direction to a starting position, and timer means energized by said indicator whenso moved to starting position, means associated with said timer means and indicator for driving said indicator in the other direction over said window, and means operable by said indicator when it is moved to a starting position for initiating starting operation of said timer means.

3.. In a parking meter. for indicating and timing a parking period, the combination of a manually operable control member, a movable indicator adjustable relatively of said control member and adapted to be actuated thereby for setting the indicator at a starting position on each actuation of said control member, means for so adjusting said indicator, a clock, and means driven in one direction by said indicator when actuatedby said control member to wind said clock and thereafter in the opposite direction from said clock to drive said indicator.

4. In a token or coin controlled parking meter for indicating and timing 9. parking period, the combination of a clock, an indicator adapted to be driven from said clock, a token or coin moving member adjacent one side of said indicator, said indicator having a token or coin operable member engageable by a token or coin being moved by said moving member for setting said indicator in a starting position, means for adjusting said indicator for varying the distance through which the indicator is moved whereby to varyjshe starting position thereof, means rotatable with the indicator for winding said clock, and means driven by said clock for driving the last said means whereby to drive said indicator.

5. In a parking meter for indicating and timing a parking period, the combination of a manually operable control member, a movable indicator adjustable relatively of said control member and adapted to be actuated thereby for setting the indicator at a',starting position on each actuation of said control member, means for so adjusting said indicator, a clock, said clock including an alarm mechariism, means driven in one direction by said indicator when actuated by said control member to wi :1 said clock and thereafter in the opposite direc on from said clock to drive said indicator, and cans driven by the clock winding means for one izing said alarm mechanism for setting said me hanism during the operation of said manually operable control member-to set said indicator.

6. A coin controlled parking meter comprising a casing, an operating shaft extending therefrom for manual actuation, a coin transfer member operable by said shaft, a movable parking period indicator mounted for movement relative to said transfer member and movable to and from a. parking period starting position on each operation of said transfer member, a timer for actuating said indicator from said position, means coanism mounted for movement relative to said insaid indicator back to a Firm period startinl position, said transfer mechanism original position after actuation thereof. means actuable by said indicator during said last mentioned movement for energizing said timer, and adjustable means for eifecting variations in the starting positions of said indicator for varying the arking period indicated thereby.

8. A parking meter comprising a timing mechanism, a parking period indicator, means operatively connecting said mechanism and indicator whereby movement of said indicator to initial assuming its pa spe i po laldmechanism movement of coins through said passage. and a member carried by said indicator and projecting into said passage for engagement by a coin during theftransfer movement thereof for moving said indicator to initial indicating position and energi'aing said mechanism. 9. A parking meter comprising timing mechanism, a parking period indicator, means operatively connecting said mechanism and indicator whereby the latter is driven by the former during a parking period and movement of the indicator to initial parking period indicating position effects the reenergization of said mechanism, a coin passage having an arcuate portion, means comprising a manually operable member for transferring coins through said passage, and amember carried by said indicator and projecting into said arcuate portion of said passage for actuation therein by a coin during the transfer movement thereof for moving the indicator to initial parking period position. i

I ARTHUR C. MAN. 

